I was fortunate enough to be among the first to ride Fury 325 at Carowinds. Billed as: The World’s Tallest and Fastest Giga Coaster, the massive roller coaster has gained national attention thanks to its ridiculously tall lift hill (325 feet) and unnervingly steep drop (81 degrees). For now, I’ve included a mini-review and overall rating. I’ll be posting a full, more detailed review soon.
Fury 325 Mini Review: High Speed Coasting + Some Surprises
Here’s the lowdown. Fury 325 feels incredibly fast and intense, but still manages to deliver a surprisingly smooth ride for the most part.
Those brave enough to tackle Fury’s awe-inspiring 325-foot peak will be rewarded with a speedy, twisted ride combining an unusually fast feeling of speed (95 mph) with exciting twists and turns that toss you left and right.
That alone is quite an achievement, but Fury also offers quite a few spots of airtime, where riders are momentarily lifted out of their seats. The underground tunnel beneath the bridge is a highlight as well. The feeling of soaring through the air in the ride’s open trains, suddenly changes as you pass through seemingly tight tunnel causing you to pull your hands down. There’s also a surprising moment where the ride flies by one of the massive support beams giving a near-miss feeling.
There are a few times where you truly feel the sting as the g-forces press you against the ride’s comfortable seats. Thankfully, Fury 325’s designers (Bolliger & Mabillard) are masters of combining thrills with ride-ability. Unlike other roller coasters this big and fast, survivors should step off unscathed. And they might even be surprised at a sudden urge to ride again.
Here’s a great POV video of a Fury 325 Test Run:
Rating Fury 325
I’m still considering whether Fury 325 will make its way into my Top Ten Roller Coasters, but it has a good chance. At the end of the day, it’s one of the best roller coasters of the 250+ that I’ve ridden and I give it a 5 out of 5 overall.
Check back for my full review with a blow-by-blow account of this ride’s thrilling path. Also, see my comparison of Fury to its little brother: Fury 325 vs. Intimidator
What’s Your Take?
Were you one of the lucky ones at the media event? What did you think? Do you have any questions about the ride? Leave a comment below.